Miracle Meeting
by Yami no Majou077
Summary: AU. Post Persona Q2. She has a secret no one can share with. Everyone says their meeting is a miracle, but she doesn't believe it. Until she meets him, knowing he has the same secret as her, she can finally think that their meeting is really a miracle.


Arisato Hamuko had a secret, a secret that no one knew.

Unknowingly, she came into the Movie Theater and met a group of Persona User called Phantom Thieves. Their costumes were fantasy and surprising at the same time. Hamuko really loved them. Somehow, she hoped she could get one, too. It was fun sticking with them, like how she's together with the other member of SEES. It just felt like she was going back to time.

But still...with only Phantom Thieves, Hikari-chan, Nagi-san, she and the velvet room siblings were here in this Movie Theater, she felt something was off. She knew she shouldn't think of it that way, considered how nice Phantom Thieves treated her as comrade, she still felt lonely, like she was an outsider.

For first, she thought what was the purpose she was here. She alone couldn't do much in this place. Supposedly, she shouldn't be here, but with the fact that she was already here, there must be something she could do.

She tried her best not to show her worries to others - in fact, there's no one she could share the secret. Part of her felt so glad to know other Persona Users, yet part of her felt lonely and depressed. To ease her worries, the leader of Phantom Thieves - Amamiya Ren made a promise that they would help her to find her friends. She just agreed, feeling so warm for the sincerity of the group.

That aside...she wondered about her friends would actually be here. If they did, what would happen if they see her here? The thought brought another worries to her, but this time, she made sure to hide it well. She didn't want to burden the others, while they were trying to do the best to solve the mystery in this place.

... ...

The Investigation Team joined in during the exploration in Junessic Land movie. It was a surprise to Hamuko when she realized there were more Persona Users, and their Persona summoning methods were totally different. So many things had happened during the times she wasn't around. Time sure flies, huh?

Together with Phantom Thieves and Investigation Team, they successfully changed the ending of the movie, despite how difficult it could be. Aside from Kamoshidaman movie, Junessic Land greeted with a happy ending, and they got another key from the big and plump creature called Doe.

Still, with Investigation Team joined, her feeling as an outsider grew stronger than usual. Everyone was attached to their team, while she...she was alone. Her teammates weren't here with her. Although Theodore was here, but he was hand full with his business. She felt bad to interrupt him.

... ...

With Junessic Land ended, the Movie Theater released another movie called A.I.G.I.S. Seeing the title was the same as one of her friends, she immediately knew her friends would be inside the movie, just like the Investigation Team. The Phantom Thieves and Investigation Team cheered for her that she could finally reunite with her friends. She forced a smile, having a feeling that something was going to happen.

And just as expected, when they found the member of SEES, they didn't recognize her at all. They were all from the year 2009, not the timeline same as Hamuko. They felt familiar with her, yet they didn't know anything about her. Although feeling shock, Hamuko had an idea in her heart what this could mean. The fact that they didn't recognize her still made her depressed. She tried not to let the emotions got the best of her. Holding the Evoker that belonged to another SEES Leader, she felt something familiar.

She wanted to meet him. She had the urge to meet him, as soon as it could. She had a feeling that he was the one she was looking for. The one she could share the secret with...perhaps together with him, she could ease these feelings.

When she first saw him, the moment their eyes met, she felt her heart skipped a beat. It was a nostalgic feeling, as if he was together with her for a long time. It was a feeling seeing her other self.

His name was Yuki Makoto.

She thought he could ease her off feelings, but after he joined, the feelings she was an outsider had grown up to another level. It brought smile away from her face. The more she looked at him, the more she felt she wasn't supposed to be here.

"...I know exactly how Ribbon-chan feels."

Was she an error? Perhaps she was...she was an irregularity here. It was impossible to meet the counterpart from the parallel world, and indeed like everyone said, this was a miracle. However, like how the velvet siblings always said, nothing here happened was mere coincidence. There must be a reason for them to meet in this place.

"Hamuko-san."

She jerked up at Ren's voice. She quickly turned to him, afraid if he listened to what she said.

"R-Ren-kun? W-What is it?"

He took a quick glance at SEES before looking at her again. From that, Hamuko knew what he wanted to say was related to SEES.

"...Are you okay? I mean even they don't know about you, you know them very well."

When Ren was speaking, Hamuko saw the Investigation Team and Phantom Thieves were looking at the two of them. Although they tried to pretend they're not listening, but their expression betrayed them.

Again, she made all of them worried about her.

"I'm alright, Ren-kun. You don't need to worry about me." She took a glance at Makoto. "It's good that they found him. If we're second late, both him and Aigis would be in great danger."

"Yeah...no, that's not what I want to say." Ren sighed, knowing the girl wanted to dodge the topic. "Anyway...I think you should talk to them. At least, listen to what they're going to say."

"Ren-kun..."

"Don't worry. We will be here for you. Phantom thieves always welcome you."

His words brought a smile on her face. She chuckled at his silly, yet feeling touched at the same time.

They're really a bunch of good kids.

"Well...I'll try."

Before Hamuko talked to them, the member of SEES first approached her. Junpei, Yukari, Mitsuru, Akihiko, Fuuka, Ken, Koromaru, Aigis and even Shinjiro...they were all so familiar, just exactly the same as the time they were in high school. Hamuko felt an urge to cry out but she pressed it down. She couldn't do that in front of everyone, not now.

If she wanted to cry, she could always do it secretly.

They didn't know her, but from the way they tried to cheer and comfort her, she knew she would be alright with them. After all, they were all good people. One day, when she went back to her world, she had to thank all of them once again, she swore!

Well then...there's another person she needed to take care of. They hadn't talked to each other since they met inside the movie. She had no idea whether he was evaded her, or the other way round.

Hmm...pretty much the other way round, she guessed.

"Makoto-kun." Her voice stopped the blue-haired boy from walking further. "Can I talk to you for a while?"

"...Alright."

Half of his face was covered by his hair, she couldn't see his expression clearly. Anyway, she brought him to a place with no other people around.

"Hmm..."

"What do you want to talk?"

She took a glance at him, meeting his poker face.

For a moment, she was attracted by his calm blue gray eyes. They were determined and quiet. She felt comfortable by just staring at them. It eased her anxious and worries. She wondered how a pair of eyes could do that.

"...I have a secret."

"...?"

"I don't know about you...but I'm coming from that place. You know...the place that all souls are born." She paused for a while to examine his expression. "...I don't know how long I've been in that place because time has no meaning there. It's lonely...with no one but myself, but since this is the path I choose, I don't regret it at all. I keep telling myself I can do it...even if there's no one for me. As long as I am doing this for my friends, I can endure it...but sometimes, I feel like I have reached my limit."

A drop of tears rolled down to her cheek.

"...Whenever I feel depressed, I can feel someone beside me, telling me not to give up. I don't know who the person is, but I feel so familiar with him. The person seems always stay by my side...with him by my side, I know I am not the only there."

"...You don't know about him?" He asked, still wearing that poker face. If she looked carefully, she could actually saw a hint of happiness went across his eyes.

"I can't see him...although I can feel him." The more she talked, the more she cried. "I don't know who he is...but I want to see him...!"

"...What are you going to do after seeing him?"

"I'm going to tell him 'thank you', of course. No other words can express my feelings." She suddenly felt embarrassed for crying like a child, and the worst was, she was crying in front of him. "...I want to let him know his existence has eased my loneliness. I hope I can do the same for him..."

"You know you do."

Stunning for a short while, she lifted her head, meeting his blue gray eyes. This time, he was smiling.

"...Huh?"

"You're coming from Sea of Souls, the place where all the souls are born. There is a golden door somewhere in there, sealing the Goddess of Night away from the reaching of Erebus, am I right?"

She gasped, covering her mouth and feeling overjoyed.

Was she hearing things? Was this really?

Her eyes started to turn red, her tears almost burst out that she wanted to cry again. She thought he might not even understand what she was talking about...but in fact, he understood it. He knew it too well!

"This is such a coincidence. I'm coming from that place, too." He said, chuckling softly.

"But...you're supposed coming here through Tartarus..." She remembered what the others said that how they came to Movie Theater through the entrance of Tartarus.

"Yes, they did, and this me should be the same. I don't know how this happened. Apparently, my soul is trapped within this body, my past self." He shrugged, didn't seem to care at all.

"It's you...it's really you." From the first time she met him, she had a feeling that he was the one she wanted to meet for so long. This was indeed a miracle they met in this place.

"...Yeah, it's me."

"You know that place, it's cold and lonely. Because you're there with me...through feeling you, I can endure everything. I know I can do it. Thank you, Makoto-kun."

"You are me and I am you...even we are different entity, we still share the same fate. You're always there too, Hamuko."

Both of them smiled. Then, she suddenly opened her arms.

"Hey I have a favor, Makoto-kun." Chuckling, she felt her cheek burned. "Come on, you know what I want."

"...Nah, I don't know." He smirked.

Growling, she knew he did this purposely.

"...Can I hug you?" Intentionally, she made a cute face that managed to steal men's hearts. Seeing the boy's red face, she couldn't help but giggle. "May I...?"

Well, it seemed her cute expression worked on her counterpart, too.

He looked away from her, while opening his arms.

"...You don't have to give me such a cute face, you know."

Immediately, she threw herself into his arms, embracing him dearly.

"...I can finally touch you, see you and hear your voice...you're always by my side. I have long dreamed I can see you in person."

She snuggled into his arms, crying in happiness.

"...Same here." Sighing, Makoto patted her head to stop her from crying. If anyone saw this, he could be one being blamed at the end. "And for someone who hiding over there, you can come out now."

Still leaning in Makoto's arm, Hamuko lifted her head, revealing that the one hiding was Ren.

"...Sorry, I saw you two came here, so..."

"You're worried about us, right?" Chuckling, she whispered something at Makoto's ear. "Come here, Ren!"

Ren, not knowing why she was calling for him, obliging and walked over to the two. The two were still hugging each other, it made Ren felt embarrassed to look at them. He completely had no idea the two were so close, while they both were hostile to each other at the beginning...especially Hamuko. Now, it was Ren himself felt overwhelmed by the fact that they were hugging each other.

As he was getting near to them, Hamuko and Makoto suddenly threw their arms on his shoulder, dragging him like they were hugging him as well.

"W-What are you two d-doing!?"

"No need to feel embarrassed."

"Yeah, Makoto-kun is right!" Together with Ren and Makoto, the three of them laughed. Hamuko even suggested to get Yu involved next time. "Hey Makoto-kun, do you feel like we're having a little brother?"

Although they were the same age in this place, but considering from the different years they were coming, Hamuko and Makoto were definitely older than Ren.

"...Sort of. It feels good to have a little brother like Ren and Yu." Makoto nodded, couldn't agree more.

"Y-You don't have any siblings?" Stunning, Ren stopped struggling.

"No, my parents died in an accident in my young age, so I am an only child."

"...Same here."

Hamuko and Makoto exchanged a glance. It seemed their backgrounds were same as well, despite their genders and natures. This was really funny.

"I-I'm sorry..." Ren apologized. He never thought about it.

"Don't worry about that!" Hamuko shook her head. "By the way Ren-kun, I'm not sure whether you heard what I said to Makoto-kun...but can you please keep it a secret?"

"Eh? But..." Honestly, Ren didn't understand what they were talking about...even though he heard them.

"Please~?"

"Hmm...a-alright..."

... ...

They finally defeated Enlil, and managed to convince everyone in Movie Theater to walk out from their theater and go back to reality. It was all thanks to Hikari, who fully believed in them.

In Hikari's theater, they learned that all of them wouldn't remember everything that happened in Movie Theater, according from the velvet sibling. Hearing that, Hamuko suddenly felt depressed.

So...at the end, she wouldn't remember how Makoto looked like, even if they actually met each other in this place. After all, it was nothing.

"Hamuko?" Noticing her unusualness, Makoto approached her.

"Eh? S-Sorry, what are you talking about?" Flustering, Hamuko quickly restrained herself from depression.

"...Although we will not remember anything happens here, but everyone believes that we can meet each other again someday." Makoto explained, a hint of sadness lingered in his usual calm eyes.

"...Well, life goes on. I'm sure they will meet again...although that's not including the both of us." Tears gathered in her eyes, she tried suppressed it.

"Don't cry." Secretly, he gripped her hand tighter. "Even we will forget each other, I'll always be by your side. You will do the same for me, right?"

Staring at his smile, Hamuko nodded, giving him a hug.

"...of course I will."

"Hey Makoto, we're going!" Junpei yelled.

"Come on, Makoto-kun!"

Sighing, Makoto patted her head gently.

"...I'll be going first. I have to return this me back to the proper timeline."

"Alright. See you there, Makoto-kun."

Then, she saw him disappeared in the light, while she returned to the Sea of Souls.

Before that, she took a last glance at Phantom Thieves, knowing the future would be guarded even when they're gone.

... ...

She opened her eyes, seemed like having a dream, a dream that was way too real. She looked at her surroundings, didn't find any unusual, but she felt like a hole built in her heart, and something was losing.

She softly touched her body, trying to remember anything from the dream, yet she failed.

She didn't remember a bit of it.

He looked to his side, but no one was there. However, he could always feel her presence.

He knew she was there.

She knew he was there.

They turned to look behind them -

They found nothing.

She smiled, eyes wet.

He shrugged, eyes closed.

""It's alright...I know you're here.""

""It's more than enough.""

* * *

I just want to get this idea out of mind, so I decided to write it down. If you feel weird, please just skip this. I don't even know why I write this.

The idea can't get off me after watching PQ2 gameplay on Youtube. Somehow, PQ2 is amazing, and the storyline is good. Having Female protagonist in the game is the wonderful gift for Persona fans. But~~the interaction between Makoto and Hamuko is too less, almost zero. They only bid each other goodbye at the end of the game, that's it. As a huge fan of Persona 3 & Persona 3 Portable, this is saddening.

Anyway, I am done here. Thanks for reading!


End file.
